


ornament

by icedmachinery, icemachine



Category: Doom Patrol (TV)
Genre: Gen, Nail Polish, keeg is good with kids you can't convince me otherwise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:42:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25206415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icedmachinery/pseuds/icedmachinery, https://archiveofourown.org/users/icemachine/pseuds/icemachine
Summary: It occurs to Keeg that no one ever told Dorothy about their existence onlyafterthey exit Larry Trainor's body and grab the bottle of purple nail polish.
Relationships: Keeg Bovo & Dorothy Spinner
Comments: 9
Kudos: 77





	ornament

“Larry,” Dorothy says, looking up at him, pure-innocent. “Can you help me? Everyone else is asleep.”

The hatred inside of Larry tugs and twists; they can both feel it, _I can’t help a n y o n e, I am useless, I will only hurt you so_ **_run—-_ **but Larry is strong enough to realize that Dorothy does not need to hear his demonic thoughts. Not in this moment, not ever. She’s just a little girl. She doesn’t deserve—-

He bends down to her level, puts on his best facade. “Of course. What do you need?”

“I found some nail polish and I… wanted to try it on.” She holds up her right hand; her fingernails are painted a bright, sparkling purple color. It’s admittedly very well done. She looks incredibly proud of it—-he finds this endearing, thinks: _I cannot say no._ “I can’t get my other hand. Can you do it for me? Please?”

Larry smiles until he realizes that she cannot see his smile—-the bandages rob him of all warmth. He has warmth. He has warmth? He does. He can help this child. Perhaps it will extract him from his thoughts.

“Sure.”

  
  
  
  
  


Dorothy drags him to her bedroom so excitedly that he feels as if his arm will detach from the pull—-it is still, however, a gentle touch. Dorothy needs him. He will not disappoint yet another person. Maybe it’s a bit ridiculous to take this mission so seriously, but he views it as some fucked up stepping stone on redemption’s path.

He picks up the bottle and she sits on her bed, her legs dangling off the edge of it, her hand held out to Larry—- _trusting._

When he tries to open it—-

He twirls the top of the bottle around in his fingers, but the bandages are making it _impossible_ to get the cap off. The bandages are robbing him of all warmth. Larry’s fingers are just too complicated, just too unworthy, and it’s burning him, it is injecting stress—-

Fuck it.

  
  


It occurs to Keeg that no one ever told Dorothy about their existence only after they exit Larry Trainor's body and grab the bottle of purple nail polish out of Larry’s limp, unconscious grip.

Dorothy, of course, is startled. She jumps back on her bed, trembles in slight motion. It isn’t an uncommon response to seeing them for the first time —- they know that they can be terrifying at first glance —- but it is a tremble that, Keeg knows, comes from a traumatized past. It infuriates them. Niles Caulder—-

“Who—-who are you?” Dorothy asks. “Are you going to—-”

Keeg shakes their head before she can complete with the words _hurt me._ They hold their arms up; surrender.

Thankfully, her demeanor softens. She beams.

“Where did you come from? Are you part of Larry?”

_In a way._ They wave their hand vaguely. 

“Do you… live in him?”

They nod; she’s a very intelligent girl.

“I have friends that live in me, too. Most of them are nice.” She pauses to gaze at them, to take in their true essence. “You seem nice… even though you look a bit scary. Can you talk?”

Keeg considers this; Niles has said that Dorothy is an incredibly powerful child, that she is capable of _anything._ Is there a chance that she can hear them? Is it possible that they can communicate? Can the barrier ever be broken?

“I can,” they say, an optimistic attempt. “Can you—-”

“You can!” She giggles. “You have a nice voice. What’s your name?”

_Finally._ Something blossoms within them.

“My name is Keeg.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Dorothy.”

“It is nice to meet you too, Dorothy.”

“Keeg,” she says, “why did Larry go away?”

“Larry is fine. He wanted to help you, but he wasn’t able to open your bottle of nail polish, and it upset him.” They lean closer to her. “I don’t like it when he is upset, so I thought I’d try to help.”

“You want to paint my nails?”

“If you are okay with that, yes.”

“Thank you.”

Keeg opens the bottle, takes Dorothy’s hand, and realizes that they don’t actually know what they’re doing. Larry had painted a drunk Rita’s fingernails once; she had opened the bottle for him, a dark red color, so they will go off of this memory. Dip the brush into the polish, and stroke the brush over the tiny fingernail…

It’s easy.

It’s surprisingly very easy.

“I have a friend who is this color, you know,” they say. “Although, it doesn’t look as good on him as it does on you.”

“You really think I look good?”

She asks this with a tone of insecurity that makes Keeg almost _angry._ Why is everyone so _rude_ to her? Dorothy is a pure soul. They know this above all. Dorothy Spinner deserves a better life.

“Dorothy,” they say, staring up into her eyes, “you always look beautiful. Never let anyone tell you otherwise."

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I love them. I love them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kudos+comments appreciated. ♥  
> also the friend keeg talks about is a reference to my oc zade gage. i'll write about him someday.


End file.
